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Atlantic Voices | Solidarity Within the Alliance

By: Atlantic Treaty Association -
Published: April 22, 2017

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Atlantic Voices, Volume 7, Issue 02 – February 2017

Article 5 is the backbone of NATO. In a time of (potential) threats coming from different directions, how to ensure solidarity within NATO? Adding to the urgency of finding common approaches is a phenomenon that is spreading throughout the member states, namely the rise of populism and nationalism. Combined with anti-establishment rhetoric it challenges the premises of the post-1945 values-based international liberal order, and can as such also pose a threat to NATO.

The first article looks at the upcoming French elections, that could potentially have profound consequences for NATO-France relations, as well as for France’s solidarity with other Alliance members. In the second article, the trans-Atlantic values underpinning solidarity within NATO are under scrutiny. What are the trans-Atlantic values exactly and are they being upheld by all member states?

CONTENTS

France and NATO: More of the Same, Or a Shock?

Mr. Martin Michelot analyzes the views on of the five main candidates in the French elections on defense spending and NATO. He provides different scenarios for France-NATO relations, depending on which candidate wins the elections on either April 23 or May 7, 2017.

Our Shared Values

Mr. John Jacobs looks at the shared values that underpin solidarity within the Alliance. What is specifically meant when we use the term “trans-Atlantic values”? And are these values really (still) upheld by all members of NATO, or do we see divisions within the Alliance?

Atlantic Treaty Association

Among the wide range of communication activities, a traditional commitment is the present ATA official publication accompanying and outlining the agenda of the NATO Summits.
In this respect, the 2018 edition titled Strengthening Deterrence and Defense While Projecting Stability assumes a special relevance as the Brussels Summit represents another milestone in the NATO’s continuous adaptation to the evolving security environment.
[embed]http://issuu.com/globalmediapartners/docs/nato_summit_2018?e=25557842/63055529[/embed]
The ATA Official Summit Publication is available on the dedicated section of the official NATO Summit Side Event- NATO Engages.
Previous edition of the ATA Official Summit Publications are available at the following link 2017, 2016, 2014, 2012.

In the framework of the initiatives traditionally promoted in support to the NATO Summits, the Atlantic Treaty Association, released the 2017 edition of the Official Summit Publication in occasion of the Special Summit in Brussels.
Titled Projecting Stability, this edition addresses the new threats and challenges NATO Allies and Partners are facing today. It highlights NATO’s essential role as a transatlantic institution by providing a unique link between Europe and North America, which is crucial for an effective collective defense, crisis management and cooperative security.
http://issuu.com/globalmediapartners/docs/nato_projecting_stability?e=25557842%2F54244345
Previous edition of the ATA Official Summit Publications are available at the following link 2016, 2014, 2012.

Maritime security plays an important role in protecting NATO member states’ economic and security interests. NATO has long enjoyed an overwhelming sea power superiority. However, other countries are now trying to catch up. Russia, China and Japan, among others, are heavily investing in their navies. Besides state actors, we also see non-state actors becoming active (again) in the maritime domain. Will the current level of NATO’s maritime capabilities be sufficient to address present and future challenges? Or is there a need for investment, or perhaps even a revision of the Alliance Maritime Strategy? This document dates back to 2011, and since then, there have been major shifts in the global geopolitical landscape. What have been the consequences for NATO’s maritime security?
Contents:
NATO’s Maritime Security Strategy in the Red Sea Region
Mr. Neil Thompson looks at range of challenges that have arisen or are flaring up in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, arguing that - considering the region’s shipping routes’ vital importance for the global economy - there is still a need for NATO to coordinate the West’s naval activities in the area.
President Trump’s Great White Fleet
Mr. Philip Chr. Ulrich discusses President Trump’s plans to expand the U.S. Navy to a fleet of 350 vessels, as a symbol of renewed American greatness. Is this expansion necessary? And how does it relate to NATO’s maritime security strategy?
AV Vol.7, No. 08 (August 2017) - 12 pages

Atlantic Voices, Volume 7, Issue 05 – May 2017
During his campaign, Donald Trump openly questioned the usefulness of the Alliance, in addition to speaking friendly about Vladimir Putin. This alarmed some of his NATO partners, especially those in Eastern Europe. What kind of foreign and defence policy can they expect from the new U.S. President? 100 Days after his inauguration, what can be said about President Trump’s policies in these fields? How do they affect the Transatlantic relationship?
The first article argues that, so far, the Trump Administration’s foreign policy is characterized by confusion rather than coherence. In the second article, the author argues that despite the “America First” rhetoric, the American foreign policy under President Trump can at this point still be seen as fairly conventional.
CONTENTS
Trump in the White House: 100 Days of Confusion
Mr. Philip Christian Ulrich attempts to discern what the defining features of President Trump’s foreign policy will be. This is no easy task considering that Donald Trump promised his electorate unpredictability during his campaign, a promise he seems intent to keep.
100 Days of "America First"
Mr. Zebulon Carlander looks at whether the actions undertaken by the Trump Administration during its first 100 days in office are in line with the promises Donald Trump made as a candidate during his presidential campaign. How is Trump putting “America First”?
https://www.slideshare.net/Atlantictreatyassociation/atlantic-voices-trumps-first-100-days

Atlantic Voices, Volume 7, Issue 02 – February 2017
Article 5 is the backbone of NATO. In a time of (potential) threats coming from different directions, how to ensure solidarity within NATO? Adding to the urgency of finding common approaches is a phenomenon that is spreading throughout the member states, namely the rise of populism and nationalism. Combined with anti-establishment rhetoric it challenges the premises of the post-1945 values-based international liberal order, and can as such also pose a threat to NATO.
The first article looks at the upcoming French elections, that could potentially have profound consequences for NATO-France relations, as well as for France’s solidarity with other Alliance members. In the second article, the trans-Atlantic values underpinning solidarity within NATO are under scrutiny. What are the trans-Atlantic values exactly and are they being upheld by all member states?
CONTENTS
France and NATO: More of the Same, Or a Shock?
Mr. Martin Michelot analyzes the views on of the five main candidates in the French elections on defense spending and NATO. He provides different scenarios for France-NATO relations, depending on which candidate wins the elections on either April 23 or May 7, 2017.
Our Shared Values
Mr. John Jacobs looks at the shared values that underpin solidarity within the Alliance. What is specifically meant when we use the term “trans-Atlantic values”? And are these values really (still) upheld by all members of NATO, or do we see divisions within the Alliance?
https://www.slideshare.net/Atlantictreatyassociation/atlantic-voices-solidarity-within-the-alliance

Atlantic Voices, Volume 7, Issue 01 – January 2017
At the NATO Summit in Warsaw in July 2016, NATO and the EU issued a Joint Declaration which outlined areas for strengthened cooperation in light of common challenges to the East and South, including countering hybrid threats, enhancing resilience, defence capacity building, cyber defence, maritime security, and joint exercises. In December of the same year, they endorsed 42 concrete proposals in these seven areas of cooperation. This issue explores why it is so important that NATO and the EU work together and what their cooperation might look like in 2017.
The first article takes a look at recent developments, including the changing U.S. Administration, that affect the NATO-EU relationship. These bring challenges, but also a number of distinct leadership opportunities for the EU. The second article places the threat of hybrid warfare, faced by both NATO and the EU, in an historical perspective. Are hybrid warfare tactics now more successful than ever?
CONTENTS
NATO-EU Cooperation in 2017: Demonstrating Clarity of Purpose
Mr. Robert Baines addresses the obstacles that have been standing in the way of the implementation of the resolution, which include the lack of binding character of the text and the need for countries to develop Action Plans.
Stronger Together: Facing Threats from Outside and Within
Mr. Jordy Rutten looks at the role that reactionaries currently play in internal politics in several NATO member states and places this phenomenon in an historical perspective. Are hybrid warfare tactics now more successful than ever?
https://www.slideshare.net/Atlantictreatyassociation/av-vol7-no-01-january-2017-final-versionpub

Atlantic Voices, Volume 6, Issue 12 – December 2016
16 years ago, the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 was adopted, acknowledging the important role of women in international peace and security efforts. Therefore, this edition of Atlantic Voices celebrates the efforts made by our nations’ and their aim of improving inclusiveness, by zooming in on 15 years of implementation of UNSCR 1325. NATO member states’ success of securing inclusiveness in security and defence varies greatly, and therefore we raise the following question: if preventing conflict is critical for peace, and investing in women’s rights is key to conflict prevention, why is it not yet a human rights obligation?
The first article zooms in on Resolution 1325, and its enforceability deficit. The second article then takes a closer look at one of the leading NATO nation’s implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Resolution: Canada.
Finally, this issue features an interview with Ambassador Marriët Schuurrman, the NATO Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security, who argues that in order for NATO’s peace efforts to be sustainable, they must be inclusive.
CONTENTS
Assessing UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security
Ms. Yanitsa Stoeva addresses the obstacles that have been standing in the way of the implementation of the resolution, which include the lack of binding character of the text and the need for countries to develop Action Plans.
Implementation of UNSCR 1325 the Canadian Way
Ms. Mégane Visette details the efforts that have been put in place by Canada to address gender inequalities in the army and other governmental services.
NATO and the WPS Agenda: An Interview with Amb. Marriët Schuurman
Ms. Marianne Copier interviewed Amb. Marriët Schuurman about her work as NATO Special Representative for Women Peace and Security.
http://www.slideshare.net/Atlantictreatyassociation/atlantic-voices-implementing-unscr-1325
Atlantic Voices is always seeking new contributors. If you are a young researcher, subject expert or professional and feel you have a valuable contribution to make to the debate, then please get in touch. We are looking for papers, essays, and book reviews on issues of importance to the NATO Alliance.
For details of how to submit your work please and for further enquiries please contact us.

The book contains the results, recommendations and best-practices of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) “Critical Infrastructure Protection Against Hybrid Warfare Security Related Challenges” organized by the Atlantic Treaty Association in partnership with the Swedish Atlantic Council and held in Stockholm from 18–20 May 2016.
The workshop resulted in being an excellent setting for experts and stakeholders from government, academia and the private sector from the whole transatlantic region. The workshop provided a unique forum to address the protection of Critical Infrastructure and the hybrid warfare related-challenges for the Alliance.

Atlantic Voices, Volume 6, Issue 11 – November 2016
One of the Arab world’s poorest nations, Yemen has been torn apart by a civil war since 2015. Opposing forces loyal to the internationally-recognised government of President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and that of the Houthi rebel movement, the conflict also counts international components which make the situation harder to resolve. Often regarded as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, it is hard to see a potential resolution of the conflict in the near future. Its continuation war contributes to the spread of terrorist networks in the region, and the ever growing number of Yemeni refugees will have a negative spill over effect on the neighboring countries.
Yet another ceasefire was announced on 19. November 2016.
The first article will focus on the power struggle entangled in the conflict; the second will focus on NATO’s ties with the Gulf region and the parties involved in the war in Yemen.
CONTENTS
A Regional Issue with International Consequences
Mr. Neil Thompson analyzes the power struggles at play in the war in Yemen, focusing on the regional implications of the conflict as well as the role NATO could play in order to contain the consequences of the situation on the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a crucial point of passage for oil exports.
NATO, Relying on Regional Actors in Yemen
Ms. Flora Pidoux studies the elements at stake in the conflict of Yemen for the Alliance, highlighting NATO’s backing and reliance on regional powers such as Saudi Arabia. The potential role the Gulf Cooperation Council could play in bringing an end to the conflict is also examined.
http://www.slideshare.net/Atlantictreatyassociation/atlantic-voices-yemen-a-regional-problem-with-international-consequences
Atlantic Voices is always seeking new contributors. If you are a young researcher, subject expert or professional and feel you have a valuable contribution to make to the debate, then please get in touch. We are looking for papers, essays, and book reviews on issues of importance to the NATO Alliance.
For details of how to submit your work please and for further enquiries please contact us.

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The Atlantic Treaty Association (ATA) is an organization of 38 national chapters that, since 1954 has been conducting analyses, training, education, and information activities on foreign affairs and security issues relevant to the Atlantic Alliance. ATA draws together political leaders, diplomats, civilian and military officers, academics, economic actors as well as young professionals and students in an effort to further the values set forth in the North Atlantic Treaty.